Center for Social Innovation

Benjamin Wagner has a unique appreciation for the differences between big media and independently funded projects. As vice president of news for MTV, he spends his days producing stories about megastars like Jay-Z. Nights and weekends, Wagner invests his own creative energies—and money—in a no-budget documentary project that gripped him several years ago and won’t let go.

Together with his brother Christofer, a videographer, Wagner has invested “eight years, 4,600 miles, and $30,000” to make Mister Rogers & Me. The film was inspired by a chance encounter with the late children’s television legend, who challenged Benjamin Wagner to pass along a message about the value of all that’s “deep and simple.” The brothers don’t know if their film will ever earn back a dime, but they ... Read more